Forgetting
by bmo-galaxy
Summary: The blood froze in Kuroko's veins. His heart stopped beating, his brain stopped processing. He couldn't breath, the band that had constricted around his chest all day tightening so hard that he couldn't speak. The entire team was looking at him now, surprise easily seen on their faces. Tetsuya looked at them frantically, seeing no trace of recognition in any of their eyes.
It was a warm spring morning that started out like any other. The beeping of his alarm woke him promptly at seven o'clock, red numbers flashing. Kuroko, despite not being a morning person, dutifully shut off the alarm and sat up on bed. Eyes bleary, hair tangled and pointing in all direction, Tetsuya groaned under his breath. After a moment to orient himself and wake up a little bit more, he slid out from under his sheets and set to his morning routine. Shower, brush teeth, uniform. He collected his books and bag mechanically, still groggy and operating on muscle memory alone.

Making breakfast helped wake him up, the smell of food jump starting his system and forcing his brain to concentrate. His family was on a month long trip, leaving him alone in the house. Save Nigou, who was happily eating his own breakfast on the other side of the kitchen. After a quiet, simple breakfast, he collected his belongs, slipped on his shoes, and set off to school.

Nose buried in a book, he navigated his way down quiet lanes and bustling streets. He slipped past the bodies around him, avoiding people who failed to notice his presence. Even while reading, his observational skills never rested. Kagami said it was a defense mechanism that Kuroko couldn't turn off. Frankly, the blue haired youth agreed with his light, the skill had saved him from more than a few accidents.

After an uneventful walk to school, Kuroko quietly slipped off his street shoes and replaced them with his school ones. Still reading, he walked down the hallways unnoticed by his classmates. Even with his presence becoming more noticeable- due to the fact that he was constantly at Kagami's side, a boy that commanded attention- the students around him often missed him. It didn't bother Kuroko all that much, it had been this way his entire life. Besides, the people that mattered noticed him. Kagami noticed him. A blush passed over his cheeks at the thought.

Class passed slowly, the windows cracked open to let in sweet spring air. The warmth of the sun streaming through the windows made him sleepy, he ended up dozing through most of class. He grinned each time Kagami got reprimanded for the same thing.

When class broke for lunch, he leaned forward to tap Taiga's back to gain his attention, but the tall redhead was already walking away from his desk. Without even a backward glance at his partner. Confused by the action, Tetsuya pushed the small inkling of worry away. _'Kagami-kun probably has something important to do,'_ he reasoned. He opened his book and read through the rest of lunch, stomach twisting in uncomfortable knots. Kagami didn't say anything to him when lunch was over.

Throughout the rest of the day, the knots tightened in Kuroko's stomach. They spread through him, his entire body rigid. His head beat hard in his chest. Taiga still hadn't looked back at him.

By the end of classes, Kuroko was sure that he was going to burst from anxiety. The nausea rolling in his stomach made him dizzy when he stood up. Kagami was already half way out the door by the time Kuroko had gathered his belongings. Helpless and panicked, Tetsuya could do little more than trail a few yards behind Kagami the entire way to the gym. By now the shadow was sure that something was wrong. Kagami was made at him about something and ignoring him. The blue haired teen wracked his brain for anything that could explain this shift in behavior, when the previous day they had been fine. Kuroko had eaten dinner at his house last night and they'd watched a movie before Tetsuya went home. It had been pleasant, nothing happening that would describe Taiga acting this way. The hand gripping his bag tightened into a fist, fear firmly settled in his stomach.

This felt too familiar. Too much like Teiko. Kagami felt like he was far away, impossible for Kuroko to reach. The sour feelings of abandonment came unbidden, taking root in Tetsuya's chest. Each breath hurt as Kuroko tried to contain himself.

The blue haired boy watched Kagami disappear into the locker room. He hadn't looked at Tetsuya all day. Kuroko knew he was shaking, his entire body trembling like a leaf in the wind. He felt impossibly small, invisible in a way that he hadn't in a long time. With a shaky breath, he pushed open the door to the locker room.

No one looked up when he entered, which wasn't entirely uncommon. Even with all the time he spent with the team, there were still times when he went unnoticed. He reassured himself of that as he went about changing. With each passing moment, the anxiety twisted his stomach harder and harder. No one had looked at him. No one had greeted him. No one had noticed him. Tears burned Kuroko's eyes, he blinked hard in an attempt to force them away. He sat up to grab a towel when Koganei bumped into him.

The third year yelped in response, shock written plainly on his face. He stared openly at Kuroko and for a moment, the shadow could breath again. They could see him, they'd just been distracted, they would talk to him. Everything was oka-

"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't see you there. Are you joining the team today?" Koga smiled broadly, offering a hand, "I'm Koganei Shinji, nice to meet you."

The blood froze in Kuroko's veins. His heart stopped beating, his brain stopped processing. He couldn't breath, the band that had constricted around his chest all day tightening so hard that Kuroko couldn't speak. The entire team was looking at him now, surprise easily seen on their faces. Tetsuya looked at them frantically, seeing no trace of recognition in any of their eyes. It was like they were meeting for the first time.

He felt like his brain had been painted over with white paint, all thoughts gone. There was only emotion and pain. His heart clenching so hard that it stopped beating. His stomach dropping to his feet, filled with ice. Hands trembling, tears gathering in his eyes, lips wobbling. He gasped out a few breaths, turning desperate eyes to his light. Surely Kagami remembered him. Surely his partner hadn't forgotten him.

He wished he hadn't looked at Kagami.

He was staring at Kuroko, eyes pinched in annoyance. Kuroko bit his bottom lip hard, tasting the blood in his mouth. He didn't care, because Kagami was looking at him the same way. No recognition, no warmth, no trust. There was nothing in Kagami's eyes. He looked at Tetsuya like he was a stranger. Like he was nothing to him.

The world tilted on its axis, twisting at a gut wrenching angle. The team warped around him, blank faces and empty eyes surrounding him. They pressed in on him, staring him down and making him feel small. Darkness surrounded him slowly, the faces fading away at they walked out of the locker room, one by one leaving him there. Rooted in place, frozen in fear and pain. Kagami was the last, staring at him strangely before shrugging and walking out too. Kuroko was alone, alone, alone. They had forgotten about him. Thin fingers pulled at blue hair. Knees collided with the stark white, flagged floor of the locker room. He pressed his forehead to the ground and let out ugly, wretched sobs that reverberated through his entire body. The entire room was dark now. It wrapped around him, isolating and cold. He was alone, alone, alone-

"Tetsuya!" a sharp voice called. It was muffled, as if called from underwater. Far away and hard to hear. Kuroko clung to that voice, to any voice that said his name. Any voice that verified his existence. The voice continued to call him, the word shaking through him to his core. It got louder and louder until it was right next to him. He could feel a hand on his shoulder now, shaking and shaking.

With a gasp, blue eyes flew open. In a jerky motion, Tetsuya was sitting straight up in bed. Sweat dripped down the back of his neck, disappearing into his already soaked shirt. The sticky fabric chafed against his skin; he pulled the shirt off impatiently and threw it to the floor. He was still gasping for breath, lungs screaming and heart pounding. He knew that he was crying, tears splashed against shaking hands. He was gripping the covers in white knuckled fists, as if they were a life line in a stormy sea. The hand was on his shoulder again.

Whipping around, he stared into concerned red eyes. Kagami was sitting next to him, face twisted into a worried grimace. The hand on his shoulder moved to cup his cheek gently, a large thumb wiped away a stray tear.

"Nightmare?" he asked quietly, voice still rough from sleep. Kuroko stared at him with wide eyes, tears still falling down his cheeks, lower lip wobbling pathetically. He blinked at the question, eyes widened in confusion. He was still at Kagami's. He hadn't gone home.

"Nightmare," he muttered back, breathless, "It was a nightmare."

Relief slammed through him so hard that he nearly doubled over. A sob rose in his throat, constricting it, making it hard to breathe. Harder to speak. He released the covers slowly, raising a small hand to touch the fingers against his cheek. A whimper fell from his lips and he trembled hard. He gripped Taiga's hand tightly, for dear life it seemed. A wet cough forced its way past his tight throat.

Kagami carefully gathered him, curling Kuroko's small body easily into his lap. Once his partner was closely tucked under his chin, he rubbed a large, comforting hand Tetsuya's back.

Neither spoke as Tetsuya cried. He wailed and sobbed, shaking hard against the redhead's chest. The redhead quietly shushed the smaller teen as he cried, encouraging him with quiet words to _breath Kuroko._ Each time the taller boy said his name, Kuroko sobbed all over again. Eventually, the wailing petered out into wet hiccups and shaky breaths. Kagami continued to rub his back and press kisses against the crown of his head. Kuroko pushed himself tighter against Taiga's chest, gripping his shirt in small fists.

He needed to soak in his presence. He needed to be sure that this was real, that Kagami _knew him and could see him and hadn't forgotten him._ His breath hitched at the memory of distant eyes that didn't know him. Kagami must had felt him tense because he pressed a kiss to Kuroko's temple.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the redhead mumbled against his skin. Kuroko let out another shaky breath, shifting slightly to rest his cheek against Taiga's chest. He played with his boyfriend's necklace, avoiding his gaze.

"I dreamed that Kagami-kun had forgotten me," he whispered, voice raspy from crying. He flinched at the words. Saying them out loud made the dream feel _real_. He gripped his lover's arm tightly, reminding himself that Kagami was here. He hadn't forgotten. He felt his boyfriend sigh against his hair. Long arms tightened around him protectively, surrounding the smaller teen comfortingly. The shadow soaked in the feeling, the last of the tension in his limps melting away and leaving him exhausted. Wrung out and raw. His eyes burned and his cheeks itched. He scrubbed the heel of his hand against the skin, rubbing away the salt from his tears. Kagami was pressing kisses to his head, whispering against the locks as he went.

"I could never forget about you. You're my shadow," he said simply, "I'll always be by your side."

Kuroko nodded against his chest, hope and relief fragile and small in his chest. He believed those words fiercely, with every fiber of his being. There was still doubt though, the pain from the dream settled in his bones.

"Everyone forgot me," he whimpered, fresh tears gathering in his eyes. Kagami wiped them away immediately, tipping his lover's chin up. Red eyes stared down at Kuroko seriously, the ace's face set firmly. He stared straight into Tetsuya's eyes when he spoke.

"We will _never_ forget you, Tetsuya. I promise," he whispered fiercely, every word filled with love and passion and fire. "You got that?"

The blue haired teen nodded against the fingers holding his chin, words failing him. He answered Kagami's bright smile with a small one, cheeks glowing pink.

"Taiga-kun is amazing," he whispered fondly, leaning forward to press a kiss to his partner's cheek. Kagami blushed now, reaching a hand around to scratch the back of his head. Red eyes rolled toward the ceiling, an attempt to hide his embarrassment. Kuroko's smile grew at the gesture. The last traces of doubt and fear eased away, replaced with warm affection and burning love. He pressed his face tightly against Kagami's chest, offering sweet kisses against his collarbone. He felt Taiga chuckle against his hair, face pressed against the pastel locks.

Now that the crying was done and the fear had dissipated, Kuroko was tired. Bone deep, all consuming tired. His eyelids drooped and he yawned quietly.

"Let's go back to sleep, yeah?" Kagami suggested gently. Kuroko nodded, allowing his boyfriend to lay him out on the bed. Taiga immediately laid out next to him, pulling the smaller teen tightly to his chest. He pressed light kisses along Tetsuya's face. His cheeks and forehead, the tip of his nose and his temples. His red tinged eyelids, still salty from crying. He pressed a final kiss to Tetsuya's lips. Kuroko could feel the love and affection there, the dedication and promises.

 _I'm right here.  
I'll never leave you.  
You mean the world to me.  
I love you.  
I'll always be here for you._

Kuroko pressed back, pouring in all his appreciation and love.

 _Thank you.  
I love you too.  
You're here.  
You're here._

The kiss stayed sweet and chaste, both too tired for anything more. They curled around each other, touching head to toe. Kagami fell asleep first, quiet snores blowing puffs of air through Kuroko's hair. The blue haired teen smiled, pressing himself tightly against his boyfriend. He wrapped a thin arm over Kagami's middle, hugging him close. He memorized the feeling of Kagami's heart beating against his cheek. The feeling of their legs tangled together. The feeling of his chest rise and fall as he breathed. Kagami was solid next to him, holding him tightly in heavy arms.

Sleep pulled at the edge of his mind, dragging him down slowly. He concentrated on the sound of Kagami's heart, strong against his cheek. He let the sound lull him to sleep. There was no fear of waking up and Kagami forgetting him. No fear of being abandoned and left alone. When he woke up, it would be to gentle smiles and teasing over his bedhead. Breakfast with his boyfriend and practice with his team. He wasn't alone anymore. He would never be alone again.


End file.
